Psychiatric patients in emergencies, an increasingly frequent challenge for doctors

SANTO DOMINGO.- The INTEC Health Sciences Area organized the conference "Update in the management of psychiatric patients in the emergency room", given by the Dominican psychiatrist residing in the United States Nubia Lluberes.

The specialist, graduated from INTEC, presented an interactive conference, in which the students performed exercises based on real cases of patients who have required emergency room attention. The practices were oriented to differentiate the cases of suicide, violence and others of psychiatry, as well as the differences between depressive symptoms and other conditions that can mimic this disorder.

On that aspect, he stressed that according to statistics from that country, close to the 10% of patients who are treated in emergency rooms have some psychiatric condition, so he stressed that it is increasingly necessary that the emergenciólogos have knowledge about how to treat these people.

The psychiatrist shared with her medical students her list of tips in Emergency Psychiatry:

1. Document

2. Heal the Borders

3. Pay attention during emergency shift changes

4. Evaluate and re-evaluate the intoxicated

5. Familiarize yourself with social services, as they can be of great support

6. Have good relations with the other staff members

7. Feed your patients

He said that it is important to review the treatment, drug interactions and issues of consent of the patient or their relatives. In the case of psychiatric emergencies, he stressed the importance of noting suicide attempts and agitation as warning signs that patient safety is at risk.

The activity was attended by the dean of the Health Sciences Area, Raymundo Jiménez and the coordinator of the INTEC Simulation Laboratory, Pablo Smester, among other teachers and specialists from that area, as well as the Social Sciences and Humanities Area.